Sisters
by Millie 1985
Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters who grew into very different women. An AU version of season 2
1. Chapter 1

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters that grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

AN: this idea started to bug me and wouldn't go away so here is the very short first chapter with more to come soon (hopefully)

**Chapter 1**

Molly Hooper had always loved Christmas but tonight as she collapsed on her sofa she vowed never to attend a Christmas party ever again. The one she had a just been at was a total disaster not to mention she had been forced to suffer through one of the most embarrassing and heart breaking moments of her life.

The insults from Sherlock were bad enough but at least she had finally been able to say something to him about the way he always treated her and she had gotten a kiss on the cheek out of it, if that was all that had happened Molly would have viewed her night as salvageable but the worst was yet to come.

Just as Sherlock moved away from her a resounding sigh had filled the room and for a moment Molly's heart froze, she knew that sigh, she knew it very well and she knew what would happen next. She had acted all innocent and embarrassed claiming that the sigh had not come from her all the while doing her best to pretend that that one sound had not just shattered her heart but when Sherlock pulled out his phone and disappeared all of her suspicions where confirmed

Molly had left as soon as she had finished her red wine and refused both John and Lestrade's offers to walk her home. She had barely made it thought her front door when the tears began to cascade down her cheeks, snatching a framed photo from a nearby shelf she threw herself on to the sofa and began to sob in earnest

"Why Liz" Molly asked a loud looking down at the photo in her hand.

"Why out of every man in the world did you have to get your hooks into him?"

The pretty brown haired girl in the photo just smiled up at her with bright innocent eyes that Molly truly missed.

The girl in the picture and the woman sighing on Sherlock's phone where in fact the same person or at least they had been long ago.

Once upon a time Irene Adler had been Molly's big sister Elizabeth.

_Any feedback would be much appreciated_

_Thanks for reading _

_Millie_


	2. Chapter 2

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters that grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

**Chapter 2**

As much as Molly wanted to hate Liz she could never bring herself to do it, even as she lay in her darkened front room sobbing over the loss of a man that was never really hers. She couldn't even hate Irene because she unlike Liz didn't see them as two different people, they where both her big sister therefore she loved them both.

Each time Molly would try to summon up some hatred for "The Woman" as Liz liked to call herself she would find that she just ended up going over and over her childhood memories.

As children Molly and Liz had been incredibly close, the fact that Liz was almost 4 years older than Molly didn't seem to matter to them the way it did to some other siblings.

Liz always had time for Molly and the two of them always stuck together not that they had much choice on that one to begin with. While neither of them were on the same level as Sherlock Homes both Liz and Molly were highly intelligent and they both loved to learn, it didn't take long for the other children to label them freaks.

For a long time the girls were all that each other had and sometimes Molly wished that it had stayed that way because if it had maybe Irene would never have come into being.

When she was 14 Liz had gone through an unexpected growth spurt and suddenly developed some very nice curves. It didn't take long for her peers to notice or for her to work out how best to use them, soon Liz Hooper was one of the most popular and sought after girls in school but that didn't stop her from looking after her little sister.

Up until she was 11 Molly was known as Mary. Her parents insisted that they named her Mary and that was what they would call her (her mother still did to this day) but Molly hated her name and Liz knew that, so one day she changed it for her.

_Mary was laying on her bed trying to focus on her maths home work when her 15 year old sister came bouncing into room_

"_You alright Moll?" she greeted sitting down next to her with so much energy that she made the whole bed bounce _

"_Moll?" Mary ask genuinely confused_

"_Yeah Moll, its short for Molly which is what I am going to call you from now on" Liz explained_

_Mary couldn't deny that Molly was a big improvement on Mary, at least in her eyes but she couldn't help but wonder why Liz was doing this now. _

"_Why?" _

"_Because you hate your name" Liz answered with a role of her eyes_

"_Thanks but why now?" the younger Hooper pushed _

"_Because no one is ever going to sing Mary Mary quite contrary at you again if I can help it" Liz vowed_

_Mary felt her face flush with embarrassment, she had really been hoping her sister wouldn't find out about that. Some of the girl's in her class had pushed her down at lunch time and begun chanting at her, all because she was the only one to get %100 on the home work from last night._

"_Thanks Lizzy but just because you call me something different doesn't mean they will stop" Mary told her sister sadly_

"_Yes it dose" Liz reassured her _

"_Because from now on everyone is going to call you Molly even your teachers and a few big burly boy's for my class are going to look out for you too" she said obviously proud of her self _

"_How did you manage that?" Mary asked in wonder_

"_It's probably best you don't know" Liz admitted_

"_But from now on your Molly Hooper not Mary Hooper and Molly can do anything that she wants to" Liz crowed _

"_Oh Liz, thank you, thank you, thank you" the newly christened Molly cried throwing her arms around her sister. _

"_What made you pick Molly?" she asked as she pulled away_

"_I don't really know" Liz said thoughtfully_

"_I just seemed to suite you, besides my other option was Estelle" she smiled cheekily at the younger girl as she referred to her middle name _

"_No way" Molly cried scrunching up her nose _

"_That is worse than Mary, how would you like it if I started calling you Irene all the time?"_

"_Actually I think I would quite like that" Liz commented after a moment of silence_

"_It makes me sound enigmatic"_

"_Sorry Lizzy that is not going to happen" Molly laughed at her_

"_You will always be Liz to me"_

At 11 Molly had no way of knowing what her sister would one day become but she had spoken the truth anyway. The rest of the world may have come to know her as Irene Adler or The Woman but Molly couldn't. She could still see her sister Lizzy hiding behind the dominatrix façade.

Molly was considering dragging herself to bed when her phone began to ring sounding obnoxiously loud in the otherwise silent room. She considered ignoring it assuming that it would be John or Mrs Hudson phoning to apologize for Sherlock's behaviour again but the good manners that her parents had foisted on her kicked in. If they were phoning to say sorry for something that was not their fault the least she could do was listen to them.

"Hello" she answered groggily but she was suddenly snapped out of the miserable stupor by the voice on the other end of the phone

"Moll, it's me" a desperate and familiar voice whispered down the line

"Liz what's wrong?" Molly demanded knowing something must be very wrong for her sister to be calling her land line, she had made it clear before that land lines were not safe for her

"There's no time to explain, you know this line's not safe" Liz told her unconsciously echoing Molly's own thoughts

"Just listen" she continued in the same desperate tone as before

"I need you to know it's not me Moll, whatever you see, whatever you are told, no matter who you are told by, it's not me"

Molly had never heard Liz sound so nonsensical before

"Liz I don't understand" Molly whispered down the phone, finding herself once again close to tears.

"You will soon Moll" Liz assured her before the line went dead

Liz's phone call left Molly scared and confused she had no idea what could be so important that Liz would break all of her own rules to talk to her for just over a minute.

Everything became painfully clear to her when a call came in from her boss an hour later.

A body had been found and they wanted her to do the autopsy because there was no doubt that Sherlock Homes would be involved and she was the only one who could put up with him.

Why was there no doubt of his involvement? Because he believe the body of Irene Adler would be found some time tonight.

Molly felt like her world was falling down around her at the thought that Liz maybe gone but she held on to the hope that her sister's phone call had given her, she had to or she knew she would not make it out of her front door let alone all the way to the lab.

Molly Hooper had a long and potentially painful night ahead of her.

_Any and all feedback is appreciated_

_Thanks for reading_

_Millie_


	3. Chapter 3

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters that grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine but everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

**Chapter 3**

Molly had never considered herself a religious person before but as she stood over the body that so many believed to be that of Irene Adler she sent up a prayer of thanks because they were wrong, it wasn't her.

Whoever the poor woman was she wasn't Liz, she was a very close double particularly with so much damage to her face but she was not perfect. Molly had almost been fooled herself, she probably would have believe that her sisters body lay before her had she not been pre warned by the woman herself.

There were 3 discrepancies that put Molly's mind at ease, they were in fact such small discrepancies that you would never notice them if you didn't know her well enough to look for them.

The skin on the woman ankles was completely unblemished where as Liz had a hardly noticeable scar on the inside of her left ankle from where she had caught it on some barbed wire when she was 6. She was also missing a small cluster of freckles on the back of her right calf and she had a tiny birth mark behind her right ear that was missing on Liz but Molly was pretty sure that this body could have fooled even Sherlock Holmes himself.

She was proven right later that night; the body was even better than she had first thought it to be because it fooled not just one but two Holmes's.

The first was a gentleman that she had never seen before but he introduced himself as Mycroft Holmes Sherlock's older brother, he tried to under play it but Molly could tell he was a very powerful and important man just from the way he carried himself. For a moment she was very concerned for her sister and wondered just what it was she has gotten herself into to attract the attention of such a man.

Mycroft took the whole body in with one apprising sweep of his eyes and seemed satisfied.

"What are her particulars Dr Hooper" he asked her mildly with a gentle if insincere smile

Molly was shocked not only that he had known her name but also that someone who was a blood relation of Sherlock Holmes had made an attempt at civility. It only took a moment for Molly to realize how silly it was of her to be surprised by anything a Holmes did, particularly a powerful one like Mycroft

"She is a Caucasian female in her early to mid 30's she was in good physical health and shows no signs of ever having given birth" Molly easily reeled the information off without even looking at her paperwork.

"And she was bludgeoned to death" she added with a slight grimace

Mycroft took in all of the information Molly provided with a single nod of his head before sweeping out of the morgue and leaving her alone in the sterile silence.

Molly couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when Mycroft left it felt like some great danger had passed but it didn't last for long because he soon returned with Sherlock in tow

If Molly thought that Sherlock's normal demeanour was cold then he was positively frigid as he stood beside his brother gazing down at the poor woman before them.

"I'm afraid she sustained a lot of damage to her face, this may be difficult" Molly said sympathetically as she revealed the womans face. She knew that something must have happened between him and Irene for her to be sighing on his phone

"Remove the Sheet" he demanded so harshly that Molly couldn't help stutter

"I-I'm sorry what?"

"The sheet, move it" Sherlock snapped obviously angered by her hesitation

Molly slowly removed the sheet treating the woman with a reverence that she knew neither of the Holmes brother's would show her.

She waited tentatively as Sherlock visually inspected the body; she silently held her breath when his eyes lingered in the area of the woman's ankle but she released it when they flicked away a moment later.

"That's her" He confirmed before striding away

A sick feeling settled in the pit of Molly's stomach and she found that a small part of her really didn't want to know exactly what it was that had happened between Sherlock and Irene but a larger part needed to

"How did Sherlock recognise her from not her face?" she asked Mycroft

The man didn't answer he just raised his eye brows at her and offered her what she thought was meant to be a reassuring smile then turned to follow his brother.

As soon as she was alone Molly quickly recovered the woman on the slab giving her back what dignity she could.

"I'm sorry about that" Molly said softly as she tucked the sheet beneath the woman's chin

"And thank you for helping to protect my sister" she whispered

A sudden feeling of guilt fell over Molly as soon as the words left her mouth she realized that the woman before her was probably dead just because she would make a good double for Liz and she had to fight the strong urge to be sick

"Oh God" she gasped quickly covering her mouth

"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry" Molly stumbled back away from the woman on the slab and began to sob uncontrollably

Molly's legs could no longer support her weight and she found them giving way beneath her. She sat there on the morgues cold hard floor with just one thought circling around in her mind

"My god Liz what the hell have you done"

_This kind of ended up shorter and more emotional than I had intended it to but it felt like the right place to stop_

_Any and all feedback would be appreciated_

_Thanks for reading _

_Millie _


	4. Chapter 4

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters that grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine but everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

_AN: Hay Guy's here is chapter four and finally a real Irene/Liz appearance witch comes complete with one very slightly cheeky line but nothing too bad I promise._

**Chapter 4**

The sun had risen on Christmas morning long before Molly finally left St Bart's. She had spent hours with her sister's double and run every test that she could think of to reveal the woman's true identity, but nothing had worked. Even DNA testing said that she was Irene Adler, the only discrepancy Molly had been able to find was when she had tested the DNA against her own and found no match. She and the deceased woman were not at all related but that only confirmed that she was not Liz, it didn't tell Molly who she really was.

Molly knew that If Liz was faking her own death then she was in a lot of trouble so even if she had succeeded in finding out who the woman really was she would never have been able to tell anyone, not without endangering Liz anyway but she still felt the need to know. The poor woman who ever she was deserved to have at least one person mourn her passing even if it was just a girl that that worked in the morgue.

The taxi ride home was an unusually quite affair for Molly, normally she would natter away to her driver but that morning she was too lost in her own thoughts to even consider it.

Molly was not some stupid little mouse despite what many thought, she also didn't blindly follow rules just because they where rules.

Growing up with Liz had given Molly her own moral code and she had long ago learnt that sometimes what was technically right and what was really right were in fact the opposite of each other. For example there where many times when allowing Sherlock free reign of her lab and the bodies in the morgue was technically wrong, even illegal but if it stopped a murderer before they could hurt anyone else then in Molly's eyes it was the right thing to do.

Most people believed that the reason Sherlock got away with so much was due to Molly's infatuation with him, even Sherlock seemed to think that was the case but they were wrong. Molly did have strong feelings for Sherlock but if she ever thought what he was doing was wrong she would put a stop to it at once.

Her feelings were a very good cover so that those she worked with would never guess that she secretly agreed with Sherlock in most cases.

Her feeling also protected her from Sherlock himself. Molly knew that she could control herself around him if she took a deep breath and tried. She could show him the smart, together Molly that her colleges saw everyday but then she would run the risk of him seeing her as interesting and that was a risk she was not prepared to take.

Sherlock could see threw peoples lies like no one else, he could tell their life stories from just one look but he did not know that Molly Hooper had an incredibly high IQ and a secret dominatrix sister. The reason he didn't know was because he had never really looked.

She was just silly infatuated Molly to him and she wasn't worth a proper look. Sometimes it hurt Molly to know how little he thought of her but she knew that it was the safest thing for her and for Liz.

Sherlock was not the only person that Molly had fooled, Moriarty had underestimated her also.

As much as she had liked Jim she had always known there was something off with both him and their relationship and when he kept pushing her to introduce him to Sherlock she had realized what it was.

When she was younger boys used to use her as a way to get to Liz and Molly had learnt the signs quickly. Jim was exhibiting every one of those signs but it wasn't Liz he was interested in it was Sherlock, at first she had thought that maybe he was gay but the way he looked at Lucy the busty receptionist had convinced her otherwise.

She had kept him away from Sherlock for as long as she could, she hadn't understood why she felt the need to protect the consulting detective from Jim then but now the reason was obvious to her.

She had used every delaying tactic Liz had ever taught her even pretending that she was so love struck and that she didn't want to share their blossoming relationship with anyone else not even her friends but she knew he wouldn't be put off for long.

When she couldn't come up with any other reasons for the two men not to meet she made sure that the introductions where made in a controlled environment. They were in the lab at St Bart's and both she and John Watson where on hand should anything happen, she had also pretended to forget John's name to minimize his importance and try to afford him some measure of protection from whatever game Jim was playing.

In the end it didn't work because Molly had not known just how deadly Jim's game really was and in the months afterwards she would kick herself many times for not seeing him for who and what he really was. He may have underestimated her but sadly she had underestimated him too. She would always wonder what would have happened had she been just a bit more alert and looked a bit deeper. She would try to console herself that he had fooled Sherlock too but Sherlock had minutes with him where as she had weeks.

Her encounter with Moriarty had shaken Molly's confidence in her intelligents and her ability to read people but he had never made her question her belief that she knew what was right and what was wrong.

When she looked back on interactions with him she knew that everything she had done was the wisest choice she could have made given the information she had at the time. Sadly she couldn't say the same about her actions last night.

Molly had never felt so torn in all of her life. She had always believed in doing the right thing but she had also always believed in protecting your family even when they didn't deserve it. Now those two beliefs were clashing violently.

The woman in the morgue deserved to be buried under her own name, her family (if she had any) deserved to morn her that was what was right but for that to happen Molly had to sell out her sister who was desperately trying to hide by faking her death.

It saddened Molly a little that as much as she felt for the poor woman she had not even for one moment considered doing the right thing.

It was almost midday when she had finally made it back to her flat. The whole place was filled with darkness due to the drawn curtains and Molly didn't even have the energy to turn on the lights, she just slumped into the nearest chair with a huge sigh of relief.

"That's a big sigh for such a little girl" came a sultry voice from the darkness

Molly didn't have time to reply before she was blinded by a sudden onslaught of light as her visitor flicked the switch that turned on the main light. When Molly's eye's adjusted she could see Liz leaning almost provocatively against her book case, she was dressed as Irene and she oozed glamour and power

"Tell me Molly dear what could be weighing so heavily on your mind?" she asked smoothly

"What's on my mind?" Molly repeated in a deadly calm voice that few ever heard

"I'll tell you what's on my mind" she exploded jumping to her feet

"I have just spent most of my Christmas Eve in a morgue with a body that is meant to be you and obviously isn't, I have lied to both of the Holmes brothers for you which I am sure will not end well and to top it all off you are sighing down the phone of the first man I have actually liked in years, that is what is on my mind" she raged at her sister

"Molly I have never seen you like this, what has gotten into" Liz asked with Irene's best smirk plaster across her lips

"Nothing has gotten into me" Molly snapped defensively

"Perhaps that's the problem" Liz shot back playfully

Molly suddenly found that she just couldn't take any more; it took a lot to push her over the edge but somehow Liz always managed it.

"Drop the act Liz" she snarled unable to control her anger

"Because I cannot take it right now" she explained fiercely

The change in Liz was almost instant, she was still decked out in Irene's finery but no other trace of the woman could be found in her. Irene enjoyed seeing others in pain but to watch Molly hurting just made Liz want to cry. Her eye's lost their playful glint and the teasing smile fell from her lips.

Molly was wrapped in her big sisters arms before she was even aware of Liz moving

Liz rocked Molly back and forth gently as they sat down on the sofa together; she wanted to comfort her but had no idea how. Liz had made mistakes with Molly before and had always been able to fix them but she found herself wondering if maybe she had gone too far this time.

"Who was she?" Molly question was muffled against her shoulder but Liz heard her loud and clear, Molly was giving her a chance to explain and as much as Liz wanted to she couldn't.

"I don't know Moll" she whispered softly

"You don't know" Molly demanded pulling away from her

"She died for you and you don't know who she was?" she asked obviously not believing a word of it

"I didn't acquire the body" Liz said honestly

"Then who did?" Molly asked slowly reverting to the sensible young woman that Liz was so proud of

"A friend" Liz offered

"A friend" Molly scoffed

"What friend?" Liz knew that if Molly thought hard enough she would be able to answerer her own question and if she did that Liz didn't want to know what her reaction would be

"Let's just say it is in his best interests to protect me and leave it at that shall we" she said allowing just enough of Irene to creep into her voice to sell her half truth but not enough to send Molly off the deep end again.

Liz knew that normally Molly would have probed further for some more solid answers but it seemed right now that she was too busy tiring to stay awake to do anything else.

Molly must have been through a lot in the last few hours Liz realised sadly, she hated to admit that it was her fault that her little sister was in the state she was now but she knew it was the truth.

Liz watched as Molly began to lose her battle to stay awake she was blinking furiously in an attempt to keep her eyes open but soon her eye lids were slipping closed and staying closed.

Liz couldn't remember the last time Molly had fallen asleep in her arms but she was sure they both must have been kids at the time she smiled softly as she gently manoeuvred the younger woman into laying down on her comfy sofa. She covered Molly with a warm blanket that was draped over one of the chairs before making her way to the room that Molly always had ready for her.

Liz knew that she only had a few hours before Molly woke up and once she was up Molly would want some real answers. Liz would give her what she could but for the first time in her life there were things happening that she really couldn't tell her sister.

_Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope I haven't ruined Molly or Irene._

_Let me know what you think_

_Any and all feedback is appreciated _

_Millie_


	5. Chapter 5

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters who grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine but everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

_AN: Hey everyone, here is chapter 5. I warn you it is kind of long, Molly and Liz hijacked it but I am quite pleased with how it turned out. _

_Let me know what you think._

**Chapter 5**

Molly Hooper had never been a happy riser, waking up always seemed to be the worst part of her day no matter how long she had slept for or what time of day it actually was. So to say that she unhappy to wake up on her sofa at nearly nine at night would be a rather large understatement.

For a moment the young doctor seriously considered just rolling over and going back to sleep but the growling of her stomach and the smell of fresh food filling her flat quickly changed her mind.

When Molly finally managed to drag herself off the sofa she was met with the surprising sight of Liz looking much more like her old self pottering around the flats small kitchen and humming happily to herself.

"Two questions" the still sleepy woman grumbled as she entered said kitchen

"1) how can a dead woman be more awake than I am? And 2) when did you learn to cook?"

Liz couldn't help but smile at her little sister no matter what may have changed over the years it appeared her hatred of waking up never would.

"Still not a morning person I see Moll" she commented warmly

Molly pointedly looked toward the darkened windows that clearly testified that it was not morning but made no verbal reply to Liz's comment

"As for the cooking, Kate taught me" Liz said with a smile referring to the woman that was not only her assistant but also the love of her life, at least that was the term she had used the last time she had spoken to Molly.

"She did a good job" Molly complemented looking at the lovely Christmas dinner Liz had prepared for them while she had slept.

"Better than Mum ever did that's for sure" Liz agreed remembering their mother's many failed attempts to teach her to cook

"You look nice" Molly said finally addressing Liz's change in appearance as she took her seat.

Irene's incredibly beautiful but slightly intimidating outfit was gone and had been replaced with simple jean's and a warm red jumper. Her over the top hair and makeup had also vanished leaving Liz looking fresh faced and natural

Liz's didn't say anything she just nodded her thanks as the two of them began to eat

"How is Kate?" Molly asked tentatively trying to start a conversation, she and Liz had never really had to try to click before it had always just happened but they both knew that this time things were going to be different between them

"She's fine, same as always" was her sister's stilted reply

"And she's alright with all this?" Molly asked

"You know, you pretending to be dead and everything" she added when all she got from Liz was a blank look

"Oh" Liz gasped realization dawning

"Yes, yes, well at least she will be once it's all over" she explained putting another spoonful of food into her mouth

"So she doesn't approve" Molly guessed

"Oh no, she just doesn't know"

Molly was flabbergasted at her sister's flippant reply. The last time she had seen Liz she had not been able to shut up about Kate, even going so far as to suggest that Molly should come to see her under the name Mary Adler just so she could meet her amazing assistant but now suddenly she was happy to let the woman she claimed to love, believe she was dead. Molly gave up all attempts at small talk after that and the two women finished their meals in an almost comfortable silence. Both sisters knew sooner or later they were going to have to talk about Sherlock Holmes and the dangerous game that Liz had gotten herself involved in with him but neither of them were ready for the fall out of that discussion yet.

Once both women had emptied their plates Molly began to fill the dishwasher while Liz took herself off to the living room with a glass of wine. Molly rinsed and loaded the dishes without a thought; her whole attention was on the questions she knew she had to ask Liz and the answers she knew she wasn't going to like. The young woman actually felt a pang of regret when she realized that the task she had been using to buy herself time was finished

Steeling herself with a deep breath Molly left the kitchen to face her sister.

"Liz where are you" Molly called when she didn't find her visitor in the living room as she had expected

"Your room" Liz yelled back

Molly made her way into her room with a roll of her eye's Liz never could stay out of others peoples things

"What are you doing in my room?" she asked as she came through the door

"I was looking for something to sleep in" Liz explained

"But I found this instead" She held up the dress Molly had worn the night before

"Where exactly did you wear this little number? Or should I ask who you did you wear it for?" Liz asked raising her eyebrow at her sister

"It was for a Christmas party" the younger woman snapped snatching the dress from the smirking woman's grasp

"And were these a part of your ensemble?" Liz sniggered holding up the over sized earrings she had just spotted on Molly's bed side table

"Yes" Molly blushed under her sisters teasing gaze

"Yes, ok I made an effort to try and get someone's attention and just made a fool of myself" the doctor admitted sadly

"He doesn't see me, he just looks right though me and that is the way it has be" she whispered softly

Liz's humour faded when she saw just how much this man had hurt her sister, she felt Irene stirring within her and demanding that he pay

"What fool could look though you? She asked softly as she slid her arm around Molly

"Sherlock Holmes" Molly answer in a whispered

Suddenly the air in the small room was thick with tension as if just by speaking his name Molly had opened the door on the talk that they had both been dreading all night

For once Molly decided to be the brave one, she took a deep breath and broke the silence

"Liz I need to know" she said in a small voice she didn't need to expand on her statement, Liz knew what she meant. Molly needed to know exactly what was going on

"I know you do Moll" Liz said giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze

"But can we have tonight, just you and me, the Hooper sisters together again and tomorrow I will tell you everything I can" she practically begged

"Is what you have done really that bad" Molly asked fearfully

She knew what Liz was thinking, that once she knew the details of Irene's latest escapade Molly would no longer consider them sisters but she had always thought that Liz knew her well enough to know that nothing she could do as the woman would be so bad that Molly would disown her the way their parents had

Liz didn't answer she just stared her sister down; she couldn't lose Molly she was the only family she had left. She needed time to finish what she had started without hurting her innocent little sister.

Molly finally gave into her sister's hard gaze

"Ok" she agreed finally

"Thank you Moll" whispered Liz pulling the younger woman into a warm embrace

"But I can't promise I won't ask about Sherlock" Molly admitted

"I'll tell if you will" Liz agreed playfully pulling Molly down onto her own bed

"I have a feeling that you have much more to tell than I do, you always do" Molly said making herself comfortable at the head of the bed while Liz curled up against the foot board hugging a pillow to her chest. Any one would think they were a couple of teenagers settling down for a gossip.

"Not this time sweet cheeks" Liz countered

"If you wore that in public for him, then there is a story there" she said pointing to the dress that Molly still held in her hands

"What's wrong with my dress" Molly demanded hoping to change the subject

"I thought it was nice" she added in a slightly hurt tone

"Oh it's more than nice it's lovely" Liz assured her

"But it's not you Moll"

Molly wasn't sure if Liz had meant to offend her but the truth was she did and from the look on her face she knew it too

"You are a beautiful woman Molly" Liz told her quickly trying to undo the damage she had inadvertently done

"But you are at your most beautiful when you look natural, you don't need all that stuff to get a man's attention" she explained warmly taking the dress from Molly and discarding it on the floor

"Apparently Sherlock disagrees seeing as both my mouth and breasts are to small" Molly replied bitterly

Liz had to bite back a few choice words that she knew Molly would not like to hear but she was suddenly very glad that she'd had an excuse to use her riding crop on Sherlock Holmes she just wished that she had hit him harder

When she was younger Molly had had very little confidence in her looks it had taken Liz years to convince her that just because she wasn't a sex pot didn't mean she wasn't attractive. Liz knew that Molly would never consider herself to be the most beautiful woman in the room even thought in Liz's opinion she often was but she was on the whole happy with how she looked and Liz was not about let Sherlock Holmes undermine that.

"What exactly happened between you two" she asked trying to hide her anger

Molly knew that Liz was probably planning some painful revenge that she could exact on Sherlock on her behalf so she spoke quickly explaining all about what had happened at the party, she made sure to linger on Sherlock's apology and the kiss he gave her in hopes of abating her sister's anger.

"It's for the best anyway" she assured the older woman

"It was a stupid risk to take but I just couldn't resist it" she explained

"I don't understand, what do you mean risk?"Liz asked

"Something about Sherlock Holmes turns me into a stammering school girl and I have led him to believe that I am like that all of the time" Molly explained

"That outfit doesn't quite tally with that image but I wanted him to really see me just once" She said longingly

"Why do you let him think of you as some silly little girl can you really not control yourself around him" Liz asked her anger towards Sherlock had begun to dissipate but she was now starting to get mad at Molly for selling herself so short

"Oh I could if I tried" Molly reassured her

"I just don't try" she explained

"What?" Liz gasped

"Molly don't you see if you showed him the real you he would find you far more interesting? Then he would see you" she reasoned remembering Sherlock's comment about her being reasonably intelligent

"Of course he would" Molly agreed knowingly

"But with Sherlock when he gets interested he has to know everything and no one can hide anything from him, how long do you think your identity would stay a secret if he became interested in me?" Molly asked

"You have hidden me so far" Liz pointed out

"Only because I don't matter enough for him to take a proper look" the youngest Hooper explained sadly

"Now enough talk of Sherlock" Molly decided before Liz could say anything else

"Do you want your gifts or not?" she asked her big sister

"Gift's?" Liz asked emphasizing the plural

"Well one is for Christmas and one is for your birthday" Molly explained

"And before you complain about me spending my money I only bought one I found the other"

Molly's thoughtfulness never failed to touch Liz, she reflected on just how lucky she was to have her as watched the younger woman retrieve her gifts from a hidden compartment in her wardrobe

"Nice hiding place Moll" she complemented as Molly climbed back onto the bed with one large square gift and one small rectangular one.

"Well you never can be too careful, you taught me that" Molly told her with a smile

Liz had to fight the urge to wince, girl's like Molly shouldn't know anything about how to hide secrets let alone be good at it. If Molly noticed her sister's discomfort she pretended not to

"Open this one first, it's the Christmas one" She said handing Liz the smaller of the two gifts

Liz acquiesced to Molly's request and ripped away the brightly coloured paper to reveal a phone. I was quite simple, nowhere near as impressive as her other phones the only thing note worthy about it was that it had a red cover with a bat painted on it in what appeared to be black nail varnish.

"A phone, Thanks Moll" was all she could think to say

"I know you already have a phone" Molly said

"Two actually" Liz corrected, Molly didn't need to know one of them was currently with Sherlock Holmes

"Anyway this one is special" Molly continued

"It's your bat phone" she explained

"Like in the old show we used to watch?" Liz asked vaguely remembering how much she a Molly had once enjoyed the silly sixties show

"Just like the old show" Molly confirmed

"The only number in this phone is mine and I am the only one who has your new number, it is also registered to Mary Hooper so no one will ever think of trying to track you through it so it is a completely safe and secure line direct to me. So now you have no excuse not to keep in touch with me" She explained obviously pleased with her self

"Wow Moll, thanks" Liz never would have expected Molly to come up with something like that as Christmas gift; it just went to show that even she underestimated her sister sometimes.

"That's the one I bought, your birthday gift is the one I found Just please don't cry" Molly told her sister handing over the larger present and looking quite pensive

"Why would I cry?" Liz couldn't help but laugh at Molly as she began to open her present

"You'll see" Molly warned and she was right Liz did see. The gift was a scrap book but it wasn't just any scrap book it was the story of Elizabeth Irene Hooper's life and it had been put together by her mother.

Liz and Molly had both grown up knowing what gift they would get from their mother when they turned 21; she had been making them a scrap book each ever since the day they were born. Every year it grew thicker and thicker as every first and important moment had been recorded for them to look back on one day.

Neither of the girls where ever allowed to see their book before the day of their 21st birthday and Liz had believed she would never see hers because she had only been 20 when her father had disowned her due to her increasingly promiscuous behaviour and he had demanded that her mother destroy her book, yet here it was in her hands.

"Molly how did you get this?" she asked genuinely shocked

"I found it in mum's attic a few months ago, I guess she couldn't bring herself to get rid of it" Molly whispered

"Do you want to go through it by yourself?" she asked knowing how much Liz hated anyone seeing her as weak even her own little sister

"Yes but let me give you your gift first" Liz replied hoarsely, she produced a small velvet bag from the pocket of her jeans

"Sorry I didn't get a chance to wrap it" she said quietly scrubbing at her eyes

Molly just gave her sister a reassuring smile as he opened the bag and tipped what was in it out into her hand.

It was a necklace that appeared to be made of silver but knowing Liz it was probably white gold. It was a small pendant on a fine chain flanked by two small jewels, _E&M_ was engraved on the pendent and one of the jewels was an Amethyst Molly's birth stone while the other was an Opel which was Liz's birth stone.

Molly was speechless as simple as the necklace was it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen and was definitely the most elegant thing she had ever owned

"Thank you Liz, it's beautiful, I'm going to wear it every day" she promised hugging her sister tightly

"I'm glad you like it but I don't think it can compete with your gift" Liz told her honestly as she caressed the book that sat in her lap

"Can I look through it with you tomorrow?" Molly asked almost timidly

"I promise you can see it tomorrow" Liz said before pressing a kiss to her dear sister's temple

"Good night Moll" she whispered as she left the room

"See you in the morning" Molly called back as she started to get ready for bed, she didn't think she would get much sleep considering how much she had slept on the sofa earlier but almost as soon as her eyes had close she was slipping into slumber.

The next morning seemed to come far too quickly but the idea of finally getting to look through Liz's book after having it in her possession for months helped Molly get up. She looked at her clock and saw that it was only 6.45 which meant she might just beat Liz to the shower, with a bright smile she made a dash for the bath room but as soon as she left her room she knew something wasn't right. Her flat was felt far too quite.

"Liz" she called out knocking on the door of her spare room which had only ever been used by Liz. When she got no answer Molly pushed the door open, she was pretty sure what she would find but seeing the room empty still hurt.

A quick once over of the flat confirmed her suspicions that Liz was indeed gone. She found the final proof on the kitchen table where the two of them had shared a meal the night before. Liz's book was sitting in the centre of the table with a letter addressed to Molly resting on top of it.

Molly snatched up the letter and unceremoniously ripped it open; she took a seat and began to read what her sister had to say for herself

_Dearest Molly_

_ I know you may well hate me for tricking you but I had no other choice because I know if I told you exactly what was going on then you would hate me for sure. _

Molly couldn't believe just how easy she had made it for Liz to fool her she hadn't wanted to even consider that her plea for time was a trick so she hadn't.

"What are you into that's so bad you can't trust me Liz?" Molly mumbled to herself

_Don't you worry Moll am not in over my head, faking my death is all part of the game, that's all I can tell you for now but I promise I wouldn't be playing if I didn't think I could win._

Those few sentences made Molly shudder because she couldn't find any of Liz in it, they were all Irene

_I do think that I owe it to you to tell you what happened between me and Sherlock. He came to my home looking for something which he found but not before I pranced around naked in front of him. I then drugged him and beat him to get my property back. That was all Moll I promise. _

Molly almost laughed at the fact that Liz didn't think that was a big deal

_I know I have no right to ask anything of you right now but I'm afraid I have to _

Molly rolled her eyes of course Liz had a list of requests that she needed Molly to fulfil 

_Firstly please continue to protect my book, this is important Moll don't let it fall into the wrong hands_

"You sound like a bad spy movie Liz" Molly scolded her sister

_Second, if by some miracle Kate contacts you tell her your name is Mary Adler and make sure she knows that I loved her, I don't know if she will ever forgive me for this but if we can minimise her pain I might stand a chance_

"We?" Molly questioned rereading the last few lines

"There is no we here Liz just you" but she knew she would do as Liz asked and hope for a good out come between the two women

_My last request is for you Moll. Drop the act; show Sherlock and everyone else just how amazing you are and let the chips fall where they may. You can't live your life hiding who you really are just because I am your sister._

That one actually surprised her and was the only one of Liz's requests that she wasn't %100 sure she could do

_I have my bat phone and I will be in touch, promise_

_Love your big sister _

_Elizabeth x_

Molly read the letter through a few more times before she put it aside to look through Liz's book.

In her letter Liz didn't explain why she was sighing down Sherlock's phone and despite asking her not to worry she had said nothing to allay her younger sister's completely rational fears.

Molly knew she had two choices she could sit around and let her worries eat her up inside or she could get on with her life and hope that Liz would come to her if she needed help. The first option had not done her much good over the years so she decided that this time she would try to second option.

"I hope you know what you're doing Lizzy" Molly said to the photo of Baby Elizabeth that adorned the front of Liz's book

"I really do"

_Any and all feedback is really appreciated_

_Thanks for reading _

_Millie_


	6. Chapter 6

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters who grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine but everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

AN: Hi all I'm back, sorry about the longish wait but guess what? I now have a beta reader so my chapters may take longer to be posted but hopefully they will be better quality. She has already corrected the pervious chapter for me and is going to look at the others when she has time.

Thank you to everyone who has given me any form of feedback (including alerts and favourites) it means a lot to me that you took the time to do so. I have tried to reply to each review individually but I sure I must have missed some one out somewhere. So thank you all so much and please continue to tell me what you think.

**Chapter 6**

It had been just under a week since Liz had disappeared from Molly's flat and Molly's resolve not to worry about her sister had completely crumbled. Every time the phone rang she would almost break her neck rushing to answer it just in case it was Liz finally getting in touch but it never was.

The only time Molly was able to put thoughts of her sister out of her mind was while she was working. Most of her colleges wanted to be with their families over Christmas and New Year so Molly would cover their shifts for them. Normally she would hope not to see many new arrivals in the morgue over the festive period but this year she welcomed each new distraction with an intense if internalised excitement that would rival even Sherlock.

Molly had always felt for the people that ended up on her slab, she felt for their families too and her new found relish of her job surprised and upset her in equal measure. She couldn't help but wonder if her latest encounter with Liz had fundamentally changed something within her, and if so, would she be able to switch back once Liz's current game was over.

The game was something else that worried Molly. She had no idea what Liz was up to but she was sure that it involved Sherlock somehow it and was probably the reason she was sighing down his phone.

Molly loved Liz more than anyone else on earth but she knew how completely ruthless her sister could be when it came to winning; she just hoped Sherlock could play against Liz and come out unscathed because no one else ever had before.

Sherlock liked people to believe that his heart was untouchable or non-existent but Molly knew the truth that it was neither and she knew deep down that Liz was the same. The two where a perfect match and despite Liz professing her love for Kate Molly would not be surprised if her sister fell for the consulting detective. They didn't know it but the two of them had the power to break each other and if that were to happen, Molly knew she would need to help fix the both of them.

As grateful as the young doctor was for the extra work and distractions that St Bart's had provided her for the last week she was just as grateful that she had a short shift on New Year's Eve. She was only working till 1 o'clock and had made plans with a big tub of ice cream and some crap new year's telly.

She was just about ready to bid St Bart's goodbye for the last time that year when her mobile began to buzz frantically. One glance at the tiny screen put her on high alert, Molly was good with numbers and she didn't recognize the one that was scrolling across the screen which was never a good thing.

She took a deep steadying breath before answering

"Hello?"

"Oh hello" came a cultured and slightly surprised voice from the other end

"Is this Miss Adler? Miss Mary Adler?" the speaker asked almost tentatively

Molly was pretty sure she knew who her mystery caller was but she also knew it was best to play it cool. She glanced around quickly ensuring she was the only person in the locker room before answering

"Who would like to know?" she asked in a crisp polite tone

"My name is Kate Miss Adler" Kate said obviously knowing she had found who she was looking for

"I worked for your sister" she explained softly

The poor woman sounded like she might cry at any moment and Molly couldn't help but take pity on her.

"I know who you are Kate my sister spoke of you often" she reassured woman on the other end of the line. At least she thought she was being reassuring but her sister's assistant just seemed to get more unsettled

"She did?" she questioned

"Does that surprise you?" Molly shot right back

"I must say it does" Kate admitted she was now sounding more nervous and worried than heartbroken and that was setting off alarm bells that Molly hadn't heard since she last spoke to Moriarty

"My sister didn't trust many people so those she did I knew about, now is there a reason you are contacting me Kate?" the younger Hooper sister said hoping she managed to sound as cool and detached as her older sibling

"Yes, yes" Kate said pulling herself together

"Irene had a lot of possessions, as I'm sure you can imagine and some of them she wanted you to have" She explained, her voice low and trembling.

"I was hoping you could come and collect them from her home today" Kate said

More alarms where going off in Molly's head by this point or maybe they were the same ones as before just sounding much louder, either way she could practically see the word trap floating in the air in front of her.

Liz had been in Molly's flat the same night that she had faked her own death if there was anything she had wanted to pass on she would have done it then. That meant that Kate didn't have anything to give her she just wanted to get Mary Adler alone in her sister's home and Molly wasn't about to let that happen

"No" she answered instantly

"What?" Kate asked, Molly could hear the suspicion in the woman's voice and knew she had to think fast

"I can't go into Irene's home, I'm sorry I'm not ready yet and I'm not sure if I ever will be" she lied quickly

"Then would you meet me somewhere else" Kate cut in before Molly could end the call

"I'm sorry Kate, I don't think I can today" Molly barely resisted adding "or any other day" onto the end of her reply

"Please Mary, I need to meet you, even if it is just once so that I can feel connected to Irene again" the woman begged desperately

"Very well I will meet you at Angelo's on Northumberland Street at 3.30 today" Molly conceded not because she had been taken in by the woman's act but because she knew she wasn't going to stop until she got what she wanted and at least this way Molly was in control

"Thank you Mary, I will see you then" Kate said before hanging up

As soon as Kate was off the line Molly was sending a text to Liz's bat phone.

_Meeting Kate 3.30 today _

_Help_

She had to wait a whole 2 minutes before her phone was buzzing and Liz's name was flashing at her

"What the hell does that mean?" Liz demanded down the line

"she called me a few minutes ago, said you left me some things and she wanted me to pick them up from your house" Molly explained she knew that her sister would pick up on the same things that she had even if she really didn't want to

"And you agreed?" Liz asked disbelievingly

"Of course I didn't" Molly told her

"But she wouldn't take no for an answer so we are going to meet in a public place I know well" she concluded

"You can't go as yourself Moll" Liz told her firmly

"I was afraid you were going to say that" Molly sighed regretfully.

She was well aware that Liz kept a stash of Irene appropriate clothes in the spare room of her flat but she had never thought it would be her that would end up wearing them

"Pick out anything you like Moll, the less like your own outfits the better" Liz reminded her

"Be sure to wear a wig, make up and some sun glasses too" her big sister instructed

"Liz I feel like I am in a bad spy movie" Molly grumbled

"I'm sorry that you have to do this Moll" Liz apologized

"But it's for your own safety as much as mine; we need to know if I was wrong to trust Kate"

"And how will me dressing up like a dominatrix and meeting her help with that?" Molly snapped she knew this wasn't really Liz's fault but she had never been dragged into this side of her sister's life before and she was finding that she didn't like it; in fact it scared her silly

"You need to meet her to find out what she wants" said Liz pointing out the obvious

"And while you are doing that I will be running back ground checks on dear old Kate" she said reassuring Molly that she would actually be doing something

"You mean you didn't do that already?" Molly demanded she couldn't believe for one second that Liz had been so attracted to Kate that she had not taken all of her usual precautions.

"Of course I did" Liz growled down the phone, did her sister really think she was that stupid

"But apparently I need to look deeper"

"Fine" Molly agreed with a frustrated sigh

"But Liz don't leave me there too long" she pleaded with her sister

"I promise Moll, as soon as we know what we are dealing with you are out of there" Liz swore and she meant every word, she hated Molly having to step into her world even if it was just for an afternoon.

_Thanks for reading_

_Let me know what you think_

_Next chapter up sometime this week_

_Millie_


	7. Chapter 7

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters who grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine but everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

AN: Hi everyone, here is chapter 7 I hope you enjoy it as I had a lot of fun writing it.

**Chapter 7**

Molly could not remember ever feeling more uncomfortable than she did all dressed up in Irene's clothes but the looks she kept getting from both men and women told her that at least she looked good in them.

She had rushed home from Bart's and raided Liz's secret wardrobe for something to wear. Some of the outfit's she had come across where not even suitable to be worn in public.

It didn't take Molly long to find the most tame outfit in the whole wardrobe and decide that it was the one for her.

While the outfit may have been tame by Irene's standards it was not like anything that Molly had ever worn before. The sleek form fitting black suit consisted of the only pair of trousers in the whole of the wardrobe and a very tight jacket.

The Jacket was in fact so tight that Molly couldn't wear any of Irene's blouses underneath it but she did just manage to slip on one of her own vest tops. The young Doctor was also not impressed that length of the trousers meant that she was forced to team the outfit with the highest pair of heels she had ever worn.

Selecting something suitable from Liz's many wigs, took Molly far longer than deciding on what to wear. She finally settled on a blond bob purely it was the farthest from her own long brown hair that she could find.

Despite her discomfort Molly was actually impressed with the final outcome of her look, her makeup was smoky perfection thanks to the late great Connie Prince and she wore a pair of classy sun glasses regardless of the lack of sun. She knew she wouldn't fool Liz or Sherlock but she was pretty sure she could saunter past John or Lestrade without either of them recognising her.

She stepped into Angelo's a whole 15 minutes before she was due to meet Kate hoping that she could pick where they would sit and watch the red head arrive but it seemed she was out of luck as the woman was already waiting for her.

Molly took a deep breath and tried to remember everything Liz had taught her about being aloof as well as all the back ground information she had on not only Kate but Mary Adler as well.

She knew that Liz as Irene had told Kate about her younger sister but thankfully she had been very vague so there wasn't much she had to remember. Mary was the sensible Adler who ran the family business and had a good relationship with both Irene and her parents.

Molly had almost reached the table when she realized with a sudden sickening lurch that she actually new as much about Kate as she did Mary which was not a lot. While Liz had been waxing lyrical about Kate every time she had contacted Molly over the last year or so she had not told her sister much that was useful. The only facts Molly really knew about Kate where that she was an adventurous young woman who came from a good family and was apparently very much in love with Irene.

The lack of information made the whole situation even more frightening for Molly and she was considering turning on her ridiculously high heels and leaving but it was too late, Kate had not only spotted her but had risen to greet her there was no turning back now.

"Mary" Kate smiled brightly and offered Molly her hand

"Kate" Molly smiled back tightly and took the woman's hand

She was shocked when instead of shaking her hand Kate used it to pull her into an almost desperately tight embrace

"It is so good to finally meet you" the red head gushed placing large kiss on Molly's cheek

"You too" the younger woman replied stiffly as she tried to untangle herself from the overly friendly woman that she didn't trust

"I just wish we where meeting under better circumstances" she added as she took her seat and put the table firmly between her and Kate

"And that Irene was introducing us as she always planed too" Kate said taking her own seat

"I ordered you a red wine, Irene told me once that was your favourite" she told Molly indicating to the glass in front of her

"Thank you" Molly said adopting the gracious but cold tone that she thought would suit Mary

"But time being what it is I think I would prefer a coffee" She explained before signalling for Angelo to approach

"One cappuccino please Angelo" she ordered before enquiring if Kate wanted anything with just a look

"No I'm fine with my soda" Kate said pointing to her glass of coke

"Do you come here often?" the former assistant asked as Angelo hurried away to fill Molly's order

"No, this is my first time actually but a friend of mine has been nagging me to give this place a try for a while, he was pleased to hear that I was finally going to when I met you today" Molly lied smoothly

John had raved to her about how wonderful Angelo's was shortly after they had first met and Molly had been a regular ever since but Kate didn't need to know that, what she did need to know was that some one knew just where she was and exactly who she was meeting

"I don't wish to be rude Kate but you called this meeting, so why was it you wanted to meet me so badly" Molly asked quite proud of how well she felt she was playing the role of Mary

"I don't know how much exactly you knew about your sister's life miss Adler but I wasn't just her assistant" Kate began to explain tentatively and Molly couldn't help but role her eye's behind the sunglasses that she had no intention of removing

"I know how much the two of you cared for each other Kate" Molly cut in

"If you are trying to break the fact that the two of you where lovers to me gently please don't bother, Irene had no such concerns, she was quite candid about the situation", she said in a very bored tone

"So you knew?" Kate asked obviously shocked

"Of course I knew" Molly almost laughed

"I may have known nothing about my sister's professional life but when it came to her private life we had no secrets" She explained

"If that was what all this was about you needn't have worried yourself Kate I knew about my sister's sexual preference for a very long time and I didn't love her any the less for it" the youngest Hooper sister concluded, at least that statement was the truth

"Unlike your parents" Kate snapped bitterly and for a moment Molly was thrown she had been so sure that there was something off about Kate but there was a real emotion behind those words that had been lacking from all of the others she had spoken

"My parents had no problem with Irene's sexuality" Molly said softly

"It was what she chose to do with it that concerned them"

"So you and they both knew about her life as the woman?" Kate asked almost eagerly

Suddenly everything was becoming clear to Molly; Kate was on a fishing trip she needed to know who knew what about Irene Adler. She was probably looking for something that Irene would have hidden with someone she trusted, Molly thought but that was just a guess on her part

"They knew enough to disapprove and disinherit her" Molly said firmly, she was determined to protect her Mother from this woman as best she could

"You still have not reached the point of this meeting Kate and as much as I don't want to sound heartless I do have a business to get back too so can we get there quickly" Molly asked barely keeping hold of her temper

Kate had just opened her mouth to answer when Angelo arrived with Molly's drink and proceeded to knock Kate's all over her.

"What the hell?" the red head raged jumping to her feet

"So sorry" Angelo apologised reaching out to help Kate but he ended up just making matters worse by knocking Molly's untouched wine on to Kate's hand bag that was sitting on the table

"Enough help" Kate growled

"Where is your restroom" she demanded

Angelo didn't say anything he just pointed and Kate stormed off without another word.

Molly sat stone still she was in total shock. In all of the months she had been coming here she had never known Angelo to drop so much as a napkin and now he had practically poured two separate drinks over one of his customers in two minutes.

She was broken out of her stunned state by the sound of Angelo's gruff voice, he was laughing

"Nice friend you got there Molly" he commented

"Nice get up too" he added looking her over

Molly was actually a bit disappointed that Angelo had seen through her disguise, she had thought she had done such a good job with it. She couldn't help but worry how many of the other people that she had passed in the street may have recognised her, but she shouldn't have worried as Angelo's next statement proved

"I never would have guessed it was you if your sister hadn't tipped me off" he told her

"My sister?" Molly gasped

"Was she here?"

"No but she called" Angelo explained

"She asked me to tell you that it's time to go now, don't worry about your friend she won't be following you" he assured her

Molly knew she should be asking how Angelo knew so much about what was going on but right now she didn't care she was just glad to be getting away from Kate

"Thanks Angelo" she said gratefully, she stopped to give him a quick hug as she always did before leaving

As soon as she was out on the street, Molly pulled her phone from Liz's stylish handbag and fired off a text.

_She's American_

Kate's accent had been flawless but she had slipped up a couple of times (Soda and Restroom). Molly really hoped that Kate had made those mistakes with her because she underestimated who she was dealing with just like everyone else did because if she had said those things around Liz and she hadn't picked up on them, then Molly was going to have to kill her sister for losing her head over a pretty girl and endangering not just both of them but their mother as well.

Liz's reply came through a minute later

_She not just American she is American intelligence_

That one shocked Molly so much she nearly fell off Liz's heels

_The CIA are after you?_

Molly had to be sure she understood what Liz was saying correctly

_It would seem that way_

_Go to the river_

Molly was sure most normal people would be freaking out by now but she also knew that if she was going to get through this she had to keep her act together until she was safe at home. She was also beginning to see that no matter what she wanted to believe; with a sister like Liz she had never stood a chance at being normal.

_Thanks for reading_

_Any and all feedback is appreciated _

_Millie_


	8. Chapter 8

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters who grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine but everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

_AN: I want to thank everyone who is reading this story for their time, it has been a long time since I have enjoyed writing this much and it is nice to know others are enjoying it too. I also want to thank my amazing beta reader Frantasmic who is a great help and encouragement to me._

Molly never made it to the river. She was almost at London bridge (which was the pre arranged emergency meeting spot that she had agreed Liz) when her path was blocked by a curvy brunette with an overly bright smile.

"Mary" the woman gasped clearly faking surprise

"Mary, is that you?" she asked

"It is you, it has to be" the stranger continued without allowing Molly to answer

"It's Abigail, Abigail Wright, you must remember me. We were at St Elena's together" she insisted

Molly knew of St Elena's, it was a prestigious girl's only boarding school on the out skirts of London that was tasked with teaching young lady's of society all they would ever need to know but she had never been there in her life so there was no way she could have met the woman that was currently attempting to hug her there.

The situation with Kate meant that the normally cautious Doctor was even more wary than usual however this whole scene reeked of Liz's doing. A moment later a buzz from within her bag signalled the arrival of a text confirming Molly's suspicions.

_Trust her_

Those two words from Liz was all it took for Molly to slip back into the role she had briefly abandoned, she was once again Mary Adler

"Abby" Molly greeted the stranger with one of her brightest smiles

"Of course I remember you, how could I forget we were practically joined at the hip" she continued warmly

"I haven't seen you in years, we should get coffee and catch up" Abigail suggested

"I would like that" Molly agreed hoping that was what she was meant to do.

Liz was constantly reminding her of just how much danger she could find herself in if the wrong people discovered that she was actually little sister to the infamous Irene Adler. They even had emergency plans in place to protect them both but there was no plan or training for all of the things that had happened today. Molly had been winging it ever since she left St Bart's and so far she had done pretty well but her luck could only hold out for so long.

Abigail gave her a warm smile and linking their arms together began to march Molly through the streets of London.

The younger Hooper sister was not surprised when instead of a coffee shop she ended up in a large car with blacked out windows. She was however surprised when she stepped out of the car and discovered just where she was.

"That's Battersea power station" Molly gaped at the impressive building before her forgetting all about being Mary for just a moment

"She said that you'd like it" Abigail laughed before leading the way inside.

As soon as both Molly and Abigail entered the building they were approached by two tall men that looked like they had just stepped out of a high fashion magazine. The older of the two came up behind Molly and took a firm hold of her shoulders while the other pulled her bag from her hand.

"Don't worry Miss Adler, this will only take a moment" he said with a firm hold on the fashion accessory.

Flashing her a reassuring smile, he reached into the large bag and pulled out a small black box displaying, a red flashing light, it must have been hidden in one of the bags many pockets

"What is that?" Molly asked despite knowing that Mary should probably already know

"Just a signal jammer" the man holding her said gruffly

"So if Kate planted any bugs on you she won't have gotten anything from them" Abigail explained, her tone was gentle but Molly noticed that she spat out Kate's name like it left a bad taste in her mouth

"And this" she said pulling out another black box

"Will help us find them so we can get rid of them" she smiled softly and began to run the device over Molly's arms, legs and torso.

The bug detector bleeped twice, once on Molly's wrist and once on her ear. There was a tiny transmitter attached to the wrist band of her watch and to the back of her ear ring. She assumed Kate had planted the one on watch whilst she had held onto her hand but how she had placed the one on her ear ring Molly couldn't fathom.

Abigail removed the bugs and Molly's captor released her so that he could crush them. The younger man finished checking Molly's bag and returned it to her, again with a smile.

"Your all clear Miss Adler"

"Thank you" she smiled back

"This way" Abigail motioned for Molly to follow her and hunks one and two fell in behind them.

Abigail led the way through a maze of small winding corridors and vast open spaces until they found themselves in a long room with a bank of generators' set into one of the walls.

Irene was waiting for them there in all of her sultry glory. A shiver ran down Molly's spine just like it always did when she saw Liz so deeply submerged in her act that even she couldn't tell where the dominatrix ended and her sister began

"Mary darling" Irene strode towards the younger woman with a bright but obviously false smile

"How did your meeting with our dear treacherous little Kate go?" she asked before placing a cool kiss on Molly's cheek

"As well as could be expected" Molly replied in a tone that exactly matched that of her sister.

"I do hope the whole situation wasn't to abhorrent for you" Irene smiled almost sweetly as slid her arm around Molly's shoulders and walked them away from her three employs

"Not at all" Molly responded breezily

"I found her terrible acting and blatant fishing quite entertaining actually"

Irene cast a look over her shoulder at the people loitering around behind them

"Boys run along and collect my next appointment" she ordered

"Take Abigail with you she's just his type, should make things run much more smoothly he will assume it's his old friend summoning him again" she told them cryptically

As soon as they were out of sight Irene's cool exterior slipped away and Liz wrapped Molly in a warm embrace

"You did so well Molls, I hardly recognise you" she commented as she released the younger woman

"I doubt that, but thanks" Molly smiled slightly uncomfortably

"I'm sorry Molly, I hate that you had to do all of this" Liz sighed sadly

"It's ok" Molly smiled weakly

"I was kind of fun" she fibbed

"I don't lie to me Molls, you hated every minute of it" Liz stated firmly

"You're right I did" Molly laughed shakily

"But thanks for getting me out when you did" she continued

"How did you manage that anyway? And please don't tell me you know what Angelo likes because he seems like such a nice man and I don't want to think of you and him, you know" Molly couldn't help rambling and Liz couldn't help but laugh at her obvious discomfort

"Oh Molly, you always assume I am the motivating force that gets people to do these things" she said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes

"What's that supposed to mean?" Molly exclaimed.

"Angelo doesn't know me from Adam Molls" Liz explained

"All he knows is that your sister phoned him in a panic because she was worried that you where being hassled by an unsavoury character and that you where so unhappy about having to meet with her that you had disguised yourself for protection. He did what he did because he cares about you Molls not because I told him too"

Molly was stunned; she never would have guessed she had the power to make anyone do anything she was the quite unassuming Hooper sister after all.

"Now let's get you out of that stuff shall we?" Liz suggested giving Molly's outfit a disdainful look and handing her a pair of dark jeans, a warm jumper and some comfy trainers

"You can go back there" she pointed to small stair well that was hardly noticeable from where they were standing and would offer Molly some privacy while she changed

Molly accepted the new clothes and made her way to the make shift changing room

"If the look's I was getting on the way to Angelo's were anything to go by that, stuff, as you call it looked alright on me" she called out

"It looked gorgeous on you Molls but it is not you and nether is that vile wig, you know you have lovely hair" Liz called back

Soon Molly was once again looking like herself and Liz felt much happier, it made her feel slightly sick to see just how well her sweet little sister could take on the persona of Irene if she had too. She had always known there was well hidden steel in Molly but she had never realized just how toughened that steel was until today

"Much better" she commented with a genuinely loving smile, she swept Molly's long dark hair over her shoulder so that it cascaded down her back.

"Liz why are the CIA after you?" Molly said softly, finally asking the question that had been burning in her mind ever since she had discovered who Kate was working for.

"I don't know Moll" Liz was surprised how easy she found it to lie to Molly when she knew she had no other choice

"I had no idea that Kate was working for anyone but me" she said sadly.

"Well Kate was defiantly looking for something" Molly told her as she returned the suit, heels and wig to their rightful owner.

"I don't know what, she didn't come right out and ask for anything but she was fishing to find out if you trusted me or our parents well enough to hide it with us after your demise" she explained

Liz knew exactly what Kate was looking for but it would do Molly no good to know that. Thanks to Kate and other outside influences Molly had already become far more deeply involved in Liz's game than she had ever wanted her to.

Unfortunately for Liz Molly was not an easy person to keep in the dark. The young Doctor was not only intelligent but she was also observant, she could never join the dots the way that Sherlock could but she was capable of putting things together far more quickly than most.

"Do you think she was looking for the same thing as Sherlock?" Molly asked remembering what Liz had said in her note about Sherlock trying to take her property

"Oh I wouldn't have thought so" Liz lied again

"I'm sure they are two totally unrelated matters" she assured her sister

"After all, you know how many games I like to play at one time"

"So the thing with you and Sherlock, is it over?" Molly asked warily

"For the time being yes" Liz said skirting around the truth

"Molly I need to go dark for a while" she told the younger woman changing the subject before she could ask any more questions

Molly knew what going dark meant, Liz was going off the grid, that would mean months and months of no contact with her sister and sleepless nights when she would lie awake imagining all the awful things that could be happening to her.

"Why do you need to go dark if you have the bat phone and everyone thinks you are dead?" Molly asked desperately hoping she could change the older woman's mind

"Because I won't be staying dead for long and Kate found you, I can't risk anyone else doing the same" Liz reasoned truthfully

"By the way leave your phone with me" She told her sister

"There is a new one hidden under my pillow at your flat, I transferred all of your contacts when I was last there just in case, so you just need to charge it and give your friends your new number" she added quickly before Molly could protest

Any other day Molly might have argued but the events of the last few hours where so physically and emotionally draining that she didn't have the strength left to fight so she just handed over her phone

A distant bang signalled that the two where no longer alone and that it was time for Molly to go. Liz grabbed her sister's hand and dragged her back to the stair well she had used to change

"Go down here" Liz ordered while giving Molly one last hug

"There is a cab waiting to take to Victoria station" she explained

"You can make your way home from there right?"

"I'm almost 30 years old Liz I think I can get myself home" Molly hissed but she still shot her sister one last warm smile before disappearing down the stairs.

The driver didn't ask any of the questions Molly had expected him to considering she had just come running out of Battersea power station as if the hounds of hell were hot on her heels and jumped into his cab, nor did he require any payment because the fare had already been generously covered apparently.

It didn't take Molly long to get home, she walked in the door and collapsed onto her sofa just like she would after any normal busy day at work but the events she had lived through today were anything but normal.

She had done so many things over the course of the day that she wouldn't have believed she was capable of doing, when she had woken up that morning. She had lived a day in the life of her sister and come out the other side.

As she lay in there mulling over her day, a sudden realization hit Molly. She had stood against a CIA trained agent today, the two of them had engaged in a battle of wills and she, little Molly Hooper had won. She couldn't help but laugh aloud as she replayed her encounter with Kate in her head.

The American secret agent had cracked and the St Bart's pathologist had walked away with the information that she needed while her rival got nothing but coffee in her lap. Molly had played a very dangerous game today and not only had she survived but she had won.

As much as she hated to admit it Liz was right, it was time for her to stop hiding and start living. If the real Molly could take on a CIA agent then her day to day acquaintances would give her no problem and maybe, just maybe, she could catch the attention of a certain consulting detective

"Oh Sherlock you'll never know what's hit you" Molly sighed with a soft but deeply contented smile

_AN2: This is not really that important but I wanted to explain why I did what I did to Kate. It just always seemed odd to me that the agents where prepared to blow Watson away to get Sherlock to co-operate but they didn't even try to use Kate against Irene they just knocked her out and left her there, so this is my reason for that._

_P.S. Sherlock was meant to make an appearance in this chapter but once again the Hooper sisters took control of my chapter and ran away with it but we will definitely be seeing him soon. _

_P.P.S. I made up St Elena's boarding school it is not a real place. _

_Thanks for reading _

_Let me know what you think _

_Millie_


	9. Chapter 9

Sisters

Summary: Elizabeth Irene Hooper and Mary Estelle Hooper. Two extremely close sisters who grew into very different women.

Disclaimer: the idea is all mine but everything else belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the BBC and Sherlock's amazing writers

AN: Hey Guys, I'm back. I know I have not updated this story in a very long time and some of you have lost hope that I would ever return to it but here I am. I had this chapter partly finished for over a year but then my muse ran away to join the Avengers (he he). However the new series of Sherlock has tempted her back so hopefully more of this story will soon be forthcoming.

P.S Sherlock has finally arrived in my Sherlock story (ha ha)

Warning: this chapter mentions both murder and suicide. There is nothing too horrible or graphic (this is a T rated story after all) but Molly is a pathologist, so in this chapter at least I am afraid it can't be helped. If you chose not to read this chapter but want to continue with the story don't worry, I will include a brief overview at the beginning of the next chapter.

**Chapter 9**

Molly had never realized just how much time could pass between Sherlock's visits to St Bart's. She assumed that she had never noticed before because when he was there his presents was so all consuming it could make you forget that he ever left, she probably would have continued in blissful ignorance if she hadn't taken to waiting for his arrival with baited breath.

Her new found belief in herself had not gone unnoticed by those around her, she had hidden much less from her co-workers than she had from Sherlock and John but even they had seen a change in her.

With each day that passed Molly's anticipation rose, she couldn't wait to see what reaction if any she would get from Sherlock.

It was 2 months after her new years eve meeting with Liz when she finally had a chance to interact with him and he wasn't even really there.

Lestrade had contacted the morgue at St Bart's one morning and asked them to have Molly re-examine the body of a young woman that had come in just the day before, the fact that he had insisted that it had to be Molly that meant that Sherlock must be involved.

The body was that of Olivia Vermont, she was a home grown TV star that had been gracing British screens since she had been just 3 years old. She had only been 23 when she died and the Doctor that had conducted her first post mortem believed she had taken her own life due to depression.

Molly couldn't help but feel desperately sad for Olivia, she hadn't followed the young celebrity's career the way some of her colleges did but she had liked her.

For someone so young Miss Vermont been through a lot and she always acted with such grace and dignity that you couldn't help but respect her.

When she was 13 she had survived her parent's messy divorce and the even messier custardy battle over her and her sister, which seemed to have more to do with the money the two girls made than anything else.

When Olivia was 15, her older sister Lucille had all but abandoned her by moving away from home and withdrawing from the public eye. She said it was because couldn't take being around her parents anymore, Olivia could have thrown a very public hissy fit but she hadn't. She had just smiled for the cameras and told reporters that she wished her sister well.

According to Lestrade Olivia's parents were not convinced that she had killed herself and they point blank refused to believe she had been depressed, even though that had admitted to not seeing her in months. They had somehow managed to get Sherlock to look into the case, just how they did so Molly didn't know and she was pretty sure she didn't want to.

"I'm sorry about this Olivia, it will all be over soon, I promise" Molly told the young woman as she began the second examination. Molly always spoke to the people she autopsied as if they could still hear her, she felt it was important to remember that they were in fact people and not just slabs of meat. A lot of her colleges found Molly's habit disturbing and weird but a few understood it for what it was, her way of showing her respect for the dead and those were the few that she held in the highest regard.

It didn't take long for Molly to discover that Olivia's parents weren't completely wrong but they weren't completely right either. Molly re-ran all of the tests that had already been done on Olivia's blood and soon she was sure that she knew what had happened to Olivia Vermont she would just need Lestrade or Sherlock to discover who it was that had done it to her.

By the time Lestrade arrived Molly had concluded the post mortem and Olivia lay waiting for him, her modesty preserved by the morgue sheet that covered her from chin to ankle.

"What have you got for us Molly?" he asked obviously believing that he was going to get the same answers from her as he had from the last pathologist, she really hated to disappoint him.

"I'm sorry Greg, it wasn't suicide" she told him.

"Damn" Lestrade swore.

"So the parent's where right, she was murdered" he clarified as he pulled out his mobile.

"No She wasn't" Molly said firmly.

To his credit Lestrade didn't get flustered or babble in confusion as some might, he just gave Molly a look that clearly asked her to explain, so she took a deep breath and showed him all of her findings.

"Are you sure about this Molly?" Lestrade asked once she was done.

A few weeks ago Molly would have told him she was as sure as she could be or she would have reminded him that there was always room for error but now she all is did was nod sadly.

"How could the first post mortem have missed this" Lestrade demanded.

"There are only two reasons I can think of and I don't particularly like either of them" Molly told him in a voice that trembled with anger "Incompetence or laziness" she explained "Don't worry detective inspector I will find out which it was and I will deal with the situation personally" Molly promised fiercely.

Greg Lestrade had always considered himself a brave man so he couldn't understand for the life of him why he suddenly found sweet, harmless little Molly Hooper quite intermediating. He couldn't deny that he was relieved when John chose that moment to arrive however he would have been more pleased if Sherlock had been with him.

When he and John had exchanged greetings and Sherlock still hadn't arrived Lestrade realized that the consulting detective had no intention of turning up.

"Is Sherlock letting you look at body's all on your own now John?" he asked teasingly.

"Well I am a doctor" John shot back.

"You also have a web cam enabled lap top under your arm" Molly added with a cheeky grin "Which you can set up over there" she added quickly pointing to her desk when John sent her a mock glare.

It took John a little while to get the lap top up and running but soon Sherlock was in the room with them wearing nothing but his bath robe, a least it wasn't a sheet.

"Finally" Sherlock blustered "Took you long enough" he huffed.

"Apparently not seen as you still aren't dressed" John muttered as he manoeuvred the lap top so that Sherlock could better see the room. "Sorry about this" John made it appear that he was apologizing to both Molly and Lestrade for Sherlock's state of undress but everyone in the room (physically or otherwise) knew that it was mainly aimed at Molly, they were all waiting for her to collapse into a flustered heap but that wasn't going to happen this time.

"So detective inspector what do you think you have for me?" Sherlock asked condescendingly.

"Actually Molly here has a theory" Lestrade told him sounding almost proud as he placed a hand on the young doctors shoulder.

"Oh she does, does she?" Sherlock said, his voice taking on a sickly sweet mocking tone.

"You like to hear other peoples theory's remember Sherlock" John quickly cut in before Molly or Lestrade had a chance to put Sherlock in his place.

"No, I like to hear your theory's John" Sherlock corrected his flatmate icily.

"Which you then blow full of holes, maybe Molly can do better" John suggested.

Sherlock looked completely unconvinced but indicated to Molly to continue.

Molly smiled hesitantly before taking a deep breath and began speaking in a much more commanding tone than any of the men had ever heard her use before. "Olivia Vermont's cause of death was massive blood loss due to two deep cuts, one on each wrist" she explained.

"Classic hallmarks of suicide" Sherlock stated in a board tone.

"Yes" Molly agreed "But she didn't slit her own wrists, both cuts are almost identical in depth and length, I have never seen that in a genuine suicide. The cut to the second wrist is normally shallower and much messier than the first" She explained "Plus both cuts were made by a right handed person and while Olivia was right handed it is nearly impossible for someone to slice there right wrist using their right hand" she added quickly.

"And you know this how?" Sherlock questioned.

Molly guessed that he was referring to her knowing the cuts were made by a right hand because everything else she had said seemed self explanatory to her. She also knew that chances where Sherlock knew exactly how she could tell the cutter was right handed he was just testing her.

"The directionality of the cuts and angle of the blade can tell us if it was held in a left or right hand, in this case it indicates right" she explained precisely.

"Very good Molly" Sherlock said, once again using his sweetly mocking voice.

"So someone murdered her and tried to make it look like suicide?" John asked ignoring Sherlock.

"I don't think so" Molly said sadly.

"Then what do you think happened Doctor Hooper?" Sherlock demanded.

"I think someone slit her wrists for her and she let them do it"

"Do you have any evidence to support your theory" John asked cautiously.

"There are no bruises on her wrist she didn't fight or resist in any way" Molly explained sadly she couldn't stop her heart from aching for the poor girl that lay before them.

"Could she have been unconscious?" John wondered aloud.

"She had a high concentration of prescription medication in her system but nowhere near enough to knock her out I'm afraid" Molly said regretfully.

"And that's all you have is it?" said Sherlock sounding unimpressed.

Molly's new found confidence wavered for just a moment and all she could do was nod.

John gave the younger doctor an encouraging smile, he could tell she thought she had somehow disappointed Sherlock but he could see a gleam of appreciation in his flat mate's eyes.

"Not bad, Molly not bad at all" Sherlock complemented with a genuine smile. He always found it enjoyable to watch Molly work she could always be relied upon to be competent even if his presents sometimes had her stuttering like a fool.

"I'm glad I could help" Molly smiled back at the consulting detective "The rest is up to you" she told him warmly but there was an undertone to her voice. She almost seemed to be issuing Sherlock a challenge but John knew it was more than that, she was pleading with him to find the person that had killed Olivia.

"John will report to you with our findings by the end of the day" Sherlock told her with a smug smile before disconnecting the feed between the two lap tops.

John took that as his cue to leave but not before giving Molly one last reassuring smile "See you later Molly" he said giving her a small wave as he went.

"Good work" Lestrade added before following John out of the morgue.

As the men left Molly could almost feel herself swelling with pride, she had finally done it. The woman that had just sent the last half hour discussing Olivia's case was the real Molly Hooper, not just the shadow she had always shown the world before.

Part of her wanted to celebrate her achievement but she knew now was not the time or place so she turned her attention back to the table where Olivia lay. "They will find out who did this to you" she told the girl firmly "and I am going to find out who in this department failed you" she said casting a glance at the girl's wrists.

One of Molly's co-workers had taken one look at Olivia and written her off as a suicide. They had thought she wasn't worth the time and energy of a second and Molly was determined they were not going to get away with it. Whoever this person was were soon going to wish that they had never brushed Olivia Vermont aside so easily, Molly was going to make sure of it.

_Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think._

_Millie_


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